Hello! A few notes: first off... if you have not read American Gods... well, you definitely should! But you also probably should not read this website until you have done so, because there are some plot spoilers involved here. Sorry. Okay, you've been warned. Also: because of translation and etc., most gods, goddesses, and other mythological beings have widely varied name-spellings. I tried to stick with the ones used in the book, and list a few of the most popular alternatives. If a character is referred to by multiple names in the book (i.e. Wednesday and Odin), their main entry will be given under their mythological name. But don't worry, they're all cross-referenced! At the end of each character's entry is the page number they first appear on. The page numbers I've used are from the American hardback edition. This page has been greatly improved by the input of many, many people, who I have tried to mention individually throughout the page. But here, a collective thank you to everyone who has sent me additional information of any sort!

If you're interested in the geography of American Gods, I've set up this page, which tracks Shadow's travels across the country.

And the god who everyone forgets now has his very own page, with collected clues and theories regarding his identity.

Antinous:
Lover of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. When Antinous was found drowned in 130 AD, Hadrian deified him. Antinous is often considered an aspect of Osiris, the Egyptian protector of the dead, who also drowned in the Nile. (404)

Balder: Evidence suggests that Shadow is actually the Norse god Balder. Balder is the Norse god of light, joy, purity, beauty, innocence, and reconciliation. He is the son of Odin and Frigg. According to legend, Balder was concerned with his own death, so his mother extracted an oath from every creature, object, and force in nature, to never harm Balder. However, she forgot about the mistletoe, and Loki, who was jealous of Balder, tricked Balder's blind brother Hod into stabbing Balder with mistletoe. When Mr. World (Loki) is talking to Laura about Shadow, he says, "When this is all down with, I guess I'll sharpen a stick of mistletoe and go down to the ash tree, and ram it through his eye." (410) Additionally, Balder is traditionally very concerned with justice and fairness, which could certainly also be applied to Shadow. (His deal with Czernobog, his returning money to the waitress in San Francisco, etc.) And Shadow is, of course, Odin's son. (Thanks to Tim and Sorn for additional information!) (3)

Baron Samedi:
Related to Legba, Baron Samedi is a voodoo Ghede, or god of the dead. He is also a guardian of the crossroads, and can be prayed to for intercession to the loa (deities concerned with the lives of humans.) [In a bit of an in-joke for Sandman fans, his avatar is Didi from Death: The High Cost of Living.] (Thanks, Jose!) (382)

However, people have also mentioned a possible connection between Gwydion and Arthurian legend, I did some looking around at websites like this one and this one and apparently there's some speculation that either Mordred and Gwydion are the same, or that Arthur or Merlin are based on the Gwydion, or that Gwydion is another name for Arthur, or for Mordred.
So, I don't really know. I'm not terribly familiar with Arthurian legend. Life's so hard.
(But it's slightly easier thanks to Jose, Wynne, Gail, Megan, and Susan!)

Here's some information from TJ that makes sense: "If my research is correct, in ancient druidic/celtic britian it was customary for a child when he was born to be giving a childhood name by his mother which was then changed when he came of age. and according to some of my research Gwydion was the name used for both Arthur and his son, Mordred before they came of age. Sort of like how the romans had certin names they would use for their sons, like Guias Julius Ceaser is what the famous Emperor from the house of Julie was called in his youth. and each of the first born sons in his family from far before him and prolly for a long time after where named Guias.

Also Merlin (as historical and not mythological evidence have shown) was actually a politcal position held by many men over thousands of years. It was a druidic office, the messanger of the gods, who would travel unceasingly around the country, carrying news and wisdom between the tribes, temples, and rulers. "

Hinzelmann:
Hinzelmann is the name of the most famous German Kobolds. He allegedly haunted the castle of Hudemühlen from the years 1584-1588. Hinzelmann especially loved children, and would frequently take the form of a child to play with other children. He was very mischevious, but he was kind to those who respected him, and often gave them gifts. (Thank you, ArielLeFay, for all the information!)

Also: "Hinzelmann" is a
german folktale written down by the brothers Grimm. It says (as you mention on your
page) that he haunted the castle Hudemühlen in Northern Germany (quite funny,
because I actually know that castle...) and did a lot of work in the household. He
mentioned that he originally came from the Black Wood.
He was very friendly and helpful, as long as he was respected and as long as he got
warm milk and food every morning. Nobody ever saw him, they only heard his voice, a
child's voice, and one occasion, some people saw a little hand. At that time he was
in the castle, people sometimes saw a strangely-clad child, dressed in old-fashioned
red velvet, playing with the other children, but it would disappear as soon as they
talked to him.
The master of that castle persuaded Hinzelmann to let him touch his face, and he
felt only bone.
Hinzelmann would become very angry, when somebody accused him of being a demon or
some devilish creature, he pointed out that he was a Christian boy.
One day, the cook persuaded Hinzelmann to show himself to her, and he told her, she
would have to take two buckets of water and come to the cellar at night.
She did, and when she entered the cellar, she saw a hole in the ground, and in it lay
the body of a four-year-old child, stabbed by two swords and all bloody. She
fainted, so Hinzelmann then poured the water over her to wake her up again.
Hinzelmann left Hudemuehlen after four years had passed and left three things there:
a straw hat, a small, hollow cross and a leather glova embroidered with pearls. He
told the Lord that as long as these three things be kept together, the family would
prosper. If the were separated, the family line would die.
Eventually the lord gave the tokens away, I don't know what has become of the family.
(Thanks, Britt!) (197)

Additionally, the tales that Hinzelmann tells, i.e., the buck jumping out of his skin, Hinzelmann's grandfather freezing his family during the winter, the music from a trumpet freezing then thawing, etc., are generally drawn from the Adventures of Baron Munchausen, a popular book series first printed in 1785. More information can be found here. (Thanks, Kris!)

Leprechauns:
Mad Sweeney is a leprechaun, an Irish sprite. I've found conflicting information regarding the size of leprechauns-- I've gotten a few emails saying that they were actually quite tall, like Mad Sweeney, and that referring to them as the "little people" is irony, which is also confirmed by Mr. Ibis at Sweeney's wake ["... even of the leprechauns, the little people (and was that not the biggest joke of the Irish, for the leprechauns in their day were the tallest of the mound folk)...]. However, the Encylopedia Mythica, which I usually have found to be pretty reliable, and the Encylopedia Britannica, among others, have referred to them as quite small. (In many legends, the leprechauns make shoes for elves, but never a pair, only one shoe. According to Encyclopedia Mythica, the word is derived from the Gaelic luacharma'n, "pygmy"; or leith brogan "maker of one shoe".)

And here's some information from Laura: Just as a background thing,
the Irish "little people" are descended from the Tuatha de Danann.
When the Milesians came to Eire (this is according to the Book of
Invasions) they conquered the T. de D. and forced them to live under
ground--thus they became the sidhe.

When the Christians came along, they convinced folks that the sidhe
were unimportant--little. Therefore, these godlike beings who were
quite frightening to the earlier Celts were divided into two separate
classes: some of the good ones were incorporated into Christianity,
becoming saints (you know, like Brigid and so forth), and the minor
ones were downgraded to "little people."

Leprechauns, therefore, are decended from that second group. The word
"luchorpain" means "little stooping Lugh" (Lugh being the Celtic god
of light--similar to Apollo). There are lots of possible etymologies
of the word, but if you go by that one, you figure that the REAL
leprechauns musta been more like the T. de D. than the Catholic church
would have you believe. Sooo...when I read the book it didn't even
occur to me to see Mad Sweeney as anything but one of the oppressed
and misunderstood T. de D., badmouthed and minimized to the point that
their best gig is on boxes of Lucky Charms. (Thanks, Laura!)

Blake adds to the leprechaun debate: The thing about the daoine sidhe is this: according to
the post-Christianisation version of the story, the
daoine sidhe are the Tuatha de Danaan, diminished in
size as they diminished in importance. The conversion
of Ireland meant there were very few to no followers
(which isn't to say people didn't believe in
them--faery belief was fairly common in Ireland up
until the twentieth century, in rural areas--there's
even recorded executions of people due to faery
possession as late as the 1900s). But the point is, as
the Tuatha de Danaan decreased in importance, they
decreased in size. This isn't the original version of
the story about the origins of the sidhe, but it's the
existing version--Irish mythology often has the gods
and sidhe existing side by side, often at odds with
one another. The sidhe were a realm until themselves
that even the gods were wary of consorting with." (Thanks, Blake!)

Loki was responsible for the death of Balder, the god of light. As punishment for this, he is confined to a cave below the earth. A poisonous snake constantly drips its venom above him, and his wife Sigyn catches it in a bowl. When the bowl fills, she must empty it away from him, and in these moments the venom splashes his face.

Mad Sweeney:
Mad Sweeney is a leprechaun, an Irish sprite. Maire adds:
"Mad Sweeney appears to have been more than just a leprechaun. He was a 12th century poet named after a 7th century Irish king," and Blake says, "The name Mad Sweeney is very likely take from the Irish mythological story, Buile Suibhne, or the Frenzy
of Suibhne/Sweeney. In it, Suibhne, son of the king of Dal Riada (a
kingdom in northern Ireland) is driven mad by a curse,
and only regains his sanity after running the entire
length of Ireland from north to south."

Also, Justin adds, "The name reads as M.Ainsel, literally the "main sail" of a boat, without
which all the bluster in the world won't do a lick of good. Doubtless, I
thought, a nod to Odin's role as a weather god, and his relationship with
Shadow. Likewise, a suitable title for a novel's primary character, only
slightly less gauche than Neil Stephenson's Hiro Protagonist of the oft
regrettable Snowcrash.

Or perhaps I misread."

Which I thought was interesting, although perhaps merely a coincidence. Make of it what you will. (190)

The point is, that while Odin was a god of war, and could grant an army victory in
battle (which they tried to ensure by sacrifices), he was all of the above things as
well. During a battle he might turn against the side he supported and suddenly help
the enemy instead. As said, I find it relevant, since his deceitfulness is a major part of
> A.G. "

From Robert: My two cents is that Pan is Fatty Arbuckle. He was a silent comedian who in the 20s was embroiled in a big
sex scandal (Sept 5, 1921 Virginia Rappe ran screaming and crying from his bungalow. Four days later she
died). The third trial ended with him acquitted, but his career in ruins. See http://www.ralphmag.org/fatty.html

Sha Wujing:
From OS Yim:
"'The first head is mine,' said a very tall Chinese man, with a rope of tiny skulls around his neck. He began to walk, slowly and intently, up the mountain, shouldering a staff with a curved blade at the end of it, like a silver moon."

"This is, of course, Sha Wujing from The Journey to the West (Sagojo to the Japanese). Westerners are probably more familiar with his name of 'Sandy'. Originally a heavenly general, he was condemned to become a sand demon for the sin of wrath. He wields a spear with a spade on one end and a crescent blade on the other (or, in some accounts, only the crescent blade). His defining feature is perhaps the necklace of skulls he wears, purportedly the leftovers of various monks who attempted to cross the River of Sand on the way to India. After his defeat at the hands of 'Monkey' and 'Pigsy', Xuanzang recruited and ordained Sha Wujing as his 3rd disciple. At the end of the journey, Sha achieved Buddhahood." (Thanks, OS Yim!) (Page 545 of the HEADLINE paperback-- I'd add the hardback page # to be consistent with the rest of the site, but I don't have the book with me at the moment.)

Warrior Twins:
From Sarah: "The 'two small boys each the size of an apple tree' are almost certainly the Warrior Twins or Hero Twins known to the Maya as Hunahpu and Xbalanque and to the Dineh (Navajo) as Toba'djictcini (Born for Water or Child of the Water) and Na'ye' ne'zyani (Monster Slayer)."

As their name implies, the two are great warriors. However, Monster Slayer is the more aggressive and warlike, and Child of the Water is more cautious and thoughtful.